The Hublot F1 King Power Austin Limited Edition Watch

Not to be outdone by Audemars Piguet and their claims to Formula 1 racing, Hublot, the official watch brand of F1, has announced the F1 King Power Austin as a tribute to the United States Grand Prix which was held in Austin, Texas this past weekend. Limited to just 250 units, this titanium cased chronograph boasts a carbon and titanium bezel which has been styled to look like a cross-drilled performance brake rotor. Measuring 48mm across, the F1 King Power Austin is powered by the HUB4100 automatic chronograph movement which has a power reserve of 42 hours and offers a 30 minute chronograph, sub seconds and a date display.

While the King Power line is a predictable platform for an F1-inspired watch, Hublot has not simply slapped an F1 logo on an existing model. The rubberized chronograph pushers boldly proclaim "START" and "RESET" in red and black lettering, calling for a comparison with the button-heavy layouts of a modern F1 steering wheel. The pushers are matched by a bright red dial and highlight stitching in the hornback alligator strap. I find that the design definitely makes me think of the complex and precise equipment used in an F1 car and that the coloring would look very much at home in the pit lane. F1 is all about bright colors, over engineered mechanical complexities and big attitudes, and the F1 King Power Austin emulates these things well.

This Hublot announcement comes hot on the heels of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Michael Schumacher Limited Edition announcement in which AP flexed its F1 credibility by working with one of the best drivers in the history of the sport. Rivalries and competition can be just as intense in the watch making world as they often are among teams and drivers that make up Formula 1 racing. We feel that such background stories make the watches more interesting. The Hublot F1 King Power Austin will be available soon and carries a list price of $25 200 USD. With 250 being made in the limited edition, we recommend only those with the wallet, wrist fortitude, and highest level of F1-in-America pride head to their nearest authorized dealer.

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James (@jamesstacey) is a writer, dilettante photographer and part-time adventurer. An obsessive fan of many things, he loves watches for their breadth of style, historical connections and raw technical design. James has tendency for diving with dive watches, obsessing about case thickness and, despite owning a vast collection of leather straps, he lives by the adage - "when in doubt, just nato". He also wrote this entire bio himself and is pretty sure it's not a cry for help.

It looks like a typical G-Shock and an AP were put in the LHC and smashed together at high speed. It’s not the most hideous thing Hublot have ever made by a long shot but all that colourful plastic and rubber garbage really makes it look a lot less classy than you’d expect from a twenty-five grand watch.

Kris C

Gummy hornback? I don’t think we’ve seen that yet? Very nice. The gummy gator straps that are OEM Hublot are very impressive: some of the best in the business for sure. I can’t take the F1 logo, and I could certainly do without the splash of blue on the dial (I bet this would look much bee dial/accent than red)but I find this to be quite handsome. Such hardcore pricing though. Hublot is to watch industry pricing as Cannibal Corpse is to music.

cluedog12

I prefer the AP Schumacher by a shade to this Hublot F1. While I prefer the 3-6-9 register layout, the Hublot’s dial is a touch too colourful and busy for my tastes. Certainly an exceptional sports watch for those who can lay out 30k USD without batting an eyelash.

EranR

All the 3D displays and special effects going on at Hublot booth in BaselWorld every year, don’t come cheap do they – some premium HAS to be paid for the watches to finance all the fireworks !

TheGator

They’ve got a formula and they are sticking to it

ABK

james bond should definitly wear an hublot they are just how the 007 s watch shoul be: strong feeling and exclusive